How to negotiate your salary in the UK

1. Know your number before anyone asks

Negotiation is mostly preparation. Before the first call with a recruiter, you want three figures written down: the market range for the role, your target and your floor.

• The market range. Use more than one source. The ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) gives official medians by occupation and area. Job adverts for the same title in the same city often show salary ranges. Glassdoor and Indeed carry self-reported pay; Levels.fyi is the best source for tech total compensation. Recruiter salary guides from Hays, Robert Walters and Michael Page cover professional roles by sector.
• Your target. An ambitious figure you can justify, usually between the 75th and 90th percentile of the range if your experience and scope support it.
• Your floor. The lowest total package you would accept without walking away. Decide this before you're emotionally invested in the job, not during the call.

Compare total compensation, not just base salary. A £70,000 offer with a 10% bonus and 8% employer pension is worth more than £75,000 with no bonus and the 3% auto-enrolment minimum. See our guide to total compensation in the UK.

2. Try not to name a figure first

Whoever names a number first sets the anchor. If a recruiter asks for your expectations early, you can turn it around politely: ask what budget they have approved for the role. Many will tell you. If they insist, give a researched range whose bottom end is your target, not your floor.

UK employers are allowed to ask about your current salary, but you don't have to answer. "I'd rather focus on the value of this role than on my current package" is a complete answer. More detail is in how to answer "what are your salary expectations?".

3. Get the full offer in writing

When the offer comes, thank them and ask for it in writing with every component listed before you respond. You're looking for:

• base salary, and whether it's reviewed annually
• bonus: target percentage, what it depends on, and whether it's pro-rated in year one
• employer pension contribution, and whether salary sacrifice is available
• equity: number of shares or options, vesting schedule, and the scheme (RSUs, EMI options, growth shares)
• holiday allowance beyond the statutory 28 days (which can include bank holidays)
• notice period, probation length and any non-compete or restrictive covenants
• hybrid or remote working terms, and any location-based pay policy

It is normal to ask for a few days to consider. "Thank you, I'm excited about this. Could you send the full details in writing? I'll come back to you by Thursday" signals interest without accepting.

4. Counter with one specific, justified number

Your counter should be a single figure, slightly above your target so there's room to meet in the middle. Precise numbers (£78,500 rather than £80,000) read as researched rather than plucked from the air. Back it with two or three reasons: market data for the role and location, the scope of the job as described in the interviews, and skills or results that are directly relevant.

Email is usually better than the phone for the counter itself. It gives you time to get the wording right and leaves a record. Our salary negotiation email templates include a counter you can adapt.

5. Negotiate the package, not just the salary

If base salary is capped by a band, other parts of the package often aren't. Ask for one or two of these, not all of them:

• a signing bonus, especially to cover a bonus or unvested equity you're leaving behind
• a higher employer pension contribution
• extra holiday days
• a guaranteed salary review at six months, written into the offer
• a later start date, or more remote days
• a training or conference budget, or professional fees paid
• a higher title or level, which moves your future pay band

6. Handle the reply calmly

There are three common replies. If they meet you, accept and confirm in writing. If they move part of the way, decide whether the gap matters more than the job; one more polite push is reasonable, more than that rarely is. If they say "this is our best offer", ask whether any other part of the package has flexibility before you decide. Silence for a few days is normal; a short follow-up after three working days is fine.

Never cite a competing offer you don't have. Recruiters talk to each other, and if you're asked for details a bluff can cost you the offer you do have.

7. Close it in writing

Once you agree, ask for a revised offer letter, then check the contract matches it: salary, bonus terms, pension, holiday, notice and start date. Anything agreed only on a call, such as a six-month review, should be in writing before you resign from your current job.

Mistakes that cost UK candidates the most

• Accepting on the call because it felt rude to ask for time.
• Negotiating base salary only and ignoring bonus, pension and equity.
• Giving a range whose bottom is the number you'd actually accept.
• Apologising for asking. A calm, specific counter is a normal part of hiring.
• Forgetting tax. Above £100,000 you lose £1 of personal allowance for every £2 earned, an effective 60% rate up to £125,140. Salary sacrifice into a pension can be worth more than the same amount in salary.